Michigan National Guard 'going down uncharted waters' with government shutdown, general says

LANSING, MI — Standing before hundreds of guards under his command, Major General Gregory J. Vadnais had a difficult time explaining the exact impact the government shutdown would have if it continued.

It is the first time the National Guard had experienced a challenge like this.

"We don't know how long this is going to go on," said Vadnais, the adjutant general of the Michigan National Guard. "We are really going down uncharted waters on the path that we are going on."

These technicians are back at work Tuesday after a week without pay. Vadnais held a meeting about what the shutdown may mean for the guard members and their families.

"Some famous dead guy said 'these are the times that try men's souls' -- and this is one of those times," Vadnais said.

Like many other federal agencies, the National Guard needs federal funding to function. Currently, the Guard doesn't have money for fuel or repair parts.

It's waiting on Congress to pass a "continuous resolution" to fund the government and programs.

"With no CR, there is no money," Vadnais said. "A lot of what we're talking about is being done with IOUs.

"At some point," Vadnais added, "the train wreck comes because you run out of recourses."

During the last government shutdown in 1995, federal employees were retroactively paid.

"This is different than anything we have faced before, the political climate is different, which causes me quite a bit of angst," he said. "For whatever reason, everyone is dug in and hunkered down and no one wants to blink. You know, you need to get into a room, close the door and make a deal."

Several guard members asked questions Tuesday about pay periods, insurance benefits and program funding.

There was clearly dissatisfaction with the politics in Washington D.C. One guardsman asked: "Do we have to wait for them to clear their heads so I can feed my kids?"

Vadnais had a hard time answering. He suggested the guard members call their congressional representatives and ask them to pass a funding bill.

Sgt. Ron Raflik was one of the technicians that was furloughed. He said he watched the news in the morning to see if he would go to work that day, and then would watch the news again at night to see if he would go in the next morning.

Raflik financially supports members of his family, and once the government shut down had to start looking at his budget in case the furlough extended. Like others, he too was frustrated with the politics of the entire shutdown.

"In the military we focus on leadership and taking care of the people that we lead," said Raflik. "When the politicians, congressmen and people up there on (Capitol) Hill aren't focused on taking care of America, that frustrates me more than everything."

Although there was uncertainty about what may come for the members of the National Guard, Vadnais said they will find a solution.

"The beautiful thing about this is that we're the National Guard and we're the masters at innovation," said Vadnais. "No one is better than playing the cards dealt them than the National Guard."